1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automatic cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, to such apparatus of the continuous processing type, such as is customarily employed in large scale institutional operations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Particular problems not ordinarily associated with home laundry operations are encountered in institutional laundering. Although the major proportion of items requiring cleaning are amenable to laundering, it will be understood that the term laundering is used herein in its broad sense and includes not only washing and the various operations directly associated therewith, such as bleaching and rinsing, but also includes dry cleaning and associated operations. Because of the large volume of articles to be laundered (or dry cleaned) in large institutions such as hospitals, schools, military bases, prisons and the like, the laundry equipment must be highly automated, must be capable of substantially continuous use without breakdown, must be simple to operate, and must be competitive in price with existing available equipment. In such operations, the cost of labor involved in operating the equipment is a significant factor in the operating cost and in the selection of the equipment to be used. Similarly, the equipment itself is generally so expensive that down-time or interruption of the operating process of the equipment is generally to be avoided or minimized. These and other factors have militated toward the design of continuous processing laundering apparatus in which the dirty laundry is inserted at one end and the laundering process proceeds on a continuous basis with the clean laundry being removed at the opposite end. Sometimes such continuous laundry apparatus is used on conjunction with drying equipment of a similar continuous flow-through design.
Most of the automatic laundry equipment of the continuous operating type, such as is utilized in institutional or commercial laundries in this country, is of the rotating drum type. These are very large and expensive machines, constructed mainly of stainless steel or other materials not subject to corrosion and require substantial quantities of water and chemicals used in the washing process. Their cost and size are such that only the larger institutional and commercial laundries can justify their purchase and use.
An improved, continuous-flow laundry apparatus of another type, utilizing a peristaltic pumping action is the subject of my U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,382. While less expensive to manufacture than the drum type, stainless steel units referred to hereinabove, the cost of such equipment is such that additional improvements are continually being sought and are desirable in this competitive field.